Governor Glenn Youngkin is ordering state employees to return to their offices by July 5.
A new teleworking policy focuses on Virginia state employees returning as the administration strives to make the state government more innovative while also appealing to customers.
Youngkin’s administration is drastically curtailing a work-from-home policy that began at the height of the pandemic. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, myriads of state employees have been allowed to work from home due to the public health emergency it created.
Now, nearly two years later, the administration is updating the policy “for the first time in more than a decade.”
“After listening to the needs of Virginians, discussing solutions with agency heads across government, and closely monitoring the pandemic, we are excited to welcome our employees in person this summer,” Youngkin said in a statement that was released on Thursday.
While all state employees will be required to return to the office by July 5, the governor is urging all state employees to return as soon as they are able to do so.
There are some positions that may be eligible for telework based on the type of work and job requirements; however, employees must apply. The required steps for approval are as follows:
- An agency head must approve an agreement where an employee requests one day a week as a telework day
- A Cabinet secretary must approve an agreement where an employee requests two days a week as telework days
- Chief of Staff Jeff Goettman must approve an agreement where an employee requests more than two days a week as telework days
“Since day one, my commitment to have a best-in-class government serving all Virginians has been clear, these updates balance the demands of government services with the needs of our public servants,” said Youngkin.
Consistent with pre-pandemic policies and updated Department of Labor and Industry guidelines, agencies will determine work schedules in accordance with the Commonwealth’s telework policy and the Standard Telework Agreement.
The developed policy provides options for and supports the use of telework where appropriate. All employees with current telework agreements must apply for teleworking options with the new Standard Telework Agreement.
Below are key dates to consider:
- Applications Open (Friday, May 6, 2022): The Standard Teleworking Agreement will be available and open for application on the DHRM website on Friday, May 6.
- Application Deadline (Friday, May 20, 2022): Recommended deadline for all agreement requests.
- Review Deadline (Friday, June 3, 2022): Individual applications will be reviewed by June 3.
- Return to Office Date (Monday, July 5, 2022): All employees will return to their job function on-site, full time, unless outlined by an approved/executed Standard Teleworking Agreement.